Toaster oven heat treating question

[ricktrojanowski]

I think I want to try heat treating some stone in a toaster oven placed outside.  Can this be done if it is cold outside (less than 32 degrees)  Or do I have to wait until summer?

[mullet]

   You can do it when it's cold, no problem. Just don't leave it out in the rain. I cracked the little glass doors in one of mine when a little storm came up.

[ricktrojanowski]

Sweet.  I'm going to give some heat treating a try. 
Eddie- You said in a previous post that you run yours at 500 degrees.  Do you vary the time by the type of stone, or do you just cook all stone for the same amount time?

[mullet]

 Rick, I've tried the different soak times everybody recomends. If the rock is real rough, like low grade chert, I'll cook it about 3 hours around 300dgs to dry out moisture. Then crank it up and let it go all night. If it is Coral or Jasper or high grade Chert, that is real dense, I crank the dial to 450 or 500 and turn it off in the morning when I go to work. When I get home it is usually cool. Just make sure your pieces are not too thick or you will have to do it again once you thin it.

[ricktrojanowski]

Eddie, Thanks for the advice.  The stuff I have is pretty rough (I am guessing, since I don't know anything )  So I will go with the 300 for a while then crank it up.  How thick is too thick? 

[mullet]

 Rick, an inch or too. Depends on how tough the stuff is. You just have to experiment with the low grade rock. Sometimes, the toaster oven temperature will not help with the low grade cherts'. I have heated some at 500dgs for 2 days and nights straight and it helped some junk. But the oven was almost in melt-down mode.

[Jaeger]

/

[mullet]

 I've never tried it that way. I did do it in the wife's oven when she was gone. I put it in a roaster pan and covered it with sand. I covered it with sand to hold down any shrapnel if it blew.